Quote woolly07="woolly07"These debates never really get anywhere. Look at what we have right now. Donno, Olbison and Addey. Some supporters think they are good but still talk about bringing in two ne back rowers. If we keep these three and they do not get any better the coach gets condemned. If we sign new players and let them go and they become top internationals the coach gets condemned. There is a very fine line between keeping and letting go. You win sometimes and lose sometimes. Leeds fans must have this problem with all of the players they have let go because they bring so many through. You just have to accept that some don't fully develop with us but a new club does bring it out of them and they probably wouldn't have done the same with us. Would Deacs have been the same player with another SL club (a bottom club) who didn't have the stars we had at that time?'"
Actually, I think the debate is very interesting, though I'd accept there is no real benefit to be gained. Does this matter on a msg board?
The rest of your post I totally agree with. All ins and outs are made in the situation as it exists at the time and if a youngster [Say, Ryan Atkins is fourth or fifth in line for a spot at the time [which he was but goes on to become an international, it's a bit rich to blame the coach for letting him go, remembering that money is finite and there is a cap to be adhered to and sometimes the player just doesn't want to hang around waiting for his chance.
The decisions for Ferres and Cook were reasonable at the time imo, even though hindsight shows it didn't work, Solomona was a very different type of player, a much more skilful ball player but also inconsistent, and in truth, a luxury we didn't need and couldn't afford, particularly given the players around him.
Deacs was fortunate to play pretty much his entire career behind a dominant pack, to be honest the kind of pack [iany[/i half would love to have making space for him to play in and he definitely wouldn't have been as good at a lower club, but then, of course, neither would any other half.